Mansur Gavriel by amanda

MANSUR GAVRIEL

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Mansur Gavriel is a women's low-key luxury handbag brand founded by two women in 2012 through sharing the same passion on leather. Soon, they developed the concept of the brand to present the Italian vegetable leather of the bags to show the aging beauty of the leather and how it compliments the bag in the utmost effortless way.

Singapore consumers are big spenders on luxury goods and the country has a positive economic outlook for the business to sustain in this country. Research also shows the concentrated use of mobile and social media network in Singapore denotes more opportunity for the business to head towards marketing to Singapore consumers in this direction.

The main challenge faced by Mansur Gavriel in the Singapore market is the lack of acknowledgement from consumers given its poor accessibility, limited designs and being a new entrant to the market as well as facing the problem of imitation products. Mansur Gavriel have little to no form of physical point of contact or advertising to compete with Singapore and international well established brands to target its niche marketing and sustaining customer's interest in the designs.

Nevertheless, the increasing support of the Singapore government towards local and uprising enterprises poses a threat to Mansur Gavriel, increasing the competition in the marketplace.

The strength of the brand are their attention to details and product quality at a contemporary price points which further brings on opportunities for the brand to develop future collaborations, special edition products and even establishing their very own flagship store. However, Mansur Gavriel are relatively weak in their advertising, branding and product supply to meet with demands from the long waitlist of eager customers, this causes them to face threats of knockoffs, emerging brands and third party resellers that affect consumer's preferences to opt for other alternative brands. After further analysis, it is an ideal opportunity for Mansur Gavriel to penetrate into the Singapore market given the

Primary researches are carried out to obtain responses from Singapore consumers as well as an experienced Singapore buyer regarding consumer's buying behaviour and their perception of the brand which led to the results of finding out Singapore consumers are most concerned about the quality of products and would be interested in Mansur Gavriel's products. Given the low awareness of the brand, Mansur Gavriel will be having its debut in Singapore through a pop-up store alongside a collaboration fashion show with WWF to generate positive brand image and word of mouth among Singapore consumers. Besides that, Mansur Gavriel will be launching an official native app to ease the customer's shopping experience onthe-go and forge a sense of community amongst its shoppers.

CONTENT

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS 04 INTRODUCTION TO HANDBAGS

17 MARKET POSITIONING

HISTORY OF HANDBAGS

05 MARKET TRENDS

14 - 16 COMPETITOR COMPARISION

KEY PLAYERS

COMPANY PROFILE 06 ABOUT THE DESIGNERS 07 ABOUT THE BRAND

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

MARKETING PROBLEM DIAGNOSTICS 18 RESEARCH PROBLEMS SUB-PROBLEMS HYPOTHESIS ASSUMPTIONS LIMITATIONS

19 METHODOLOGY 20 - 22 KEY FINDINGS

08 - 10 DIRECT COMPETITORS 23 SUMMARY OF RESULTS 11 - 13 INDIRECT COMPETITORS

24 - 25 SWOT 26 - 27 PEST

MARKETING STRATEGY PROPOSAL 28 - 29 NEW TARGET MARKET

NEW MARKETING MIX

APPENDIX 32 - 43 DESIGN BRIEFS 44 - 49 TRANSCIPTS 50 -53 BIBLIOGRAPHY

REPORT BY AMANDA WONG YEE LING STUDENT ID : 013FM714 LECTURER : MISS ANISA

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION TO HANDBAGS INDUSTRY As of 2013, handbags global value sales have nearly reached $50 billion. Handbags are a key category for luxury players in the fashion marketplace. The following years after 1998, handbags became a dominant in the leather goods industry, showing a CAGR of about 10% p.a. It has been one of the fastest developing categories in the luxury market in the past 10 years. Handbags are largely immune from mix and match, serving as dominant piece instead of a complimentary piece of fashion product. According to the LVMH, handbags offers a great opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves from competitors in the form of shapes, textures, logo and metal components of the bags.By using Italian and French exports as a proxy, handbags sales posted CAGR of about 22% for Russia, 26% for China and 46% for India. Handbags have revealed to be the fastest growing category in luxury goods. The global market value forecast for 2016 fashion market will have a value of $2,155.1 billion, an increase of 21.2% from 2011.

HISTORY OF HANDBAGS Handbags were introduced to mankind in the 14th century where women would use handbags to carry money because pockets were not invented then. Later in that century, bags have quickly became a status oriented accessories carried by women to show prestigious status through handbag adornments. Bags then evolved to become wedding gifts, body fresheners and to hold food. It is during the Victorian era, more styles and fabrics were introduced due to the advancement of technology to make bags. The term â&#x20AC;&#x153;handbagâ&#x20AC;? was developed in the 19th century. During early 1900s, handbags were made from leather to be used by both women and men as shopping bags for the ladies and briefcases for the mens. In 1930, shoulder bags, watches, clasp bags and clutches made their way into mainstream fashion. The bags were a form of art in conjunction of the Art Deco movement, which emphasized abstraction and new industrial materials, such as plastics and zippers. After World War II, economic prosperity propelled and handbags rose to become an iconic status and this is where design houses emerged, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Hermes. The handbag industry grew extensively from then and it is still growing until today.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

LUXURY MARKET TRENDS IN SINGAPORE Singapore luxury market has displayed a strong growth over the years as luxury goods have become an integral part of Singapore lifestyles. Although Singapore was affected by the euro crises, the domestic luxury goods market has however showed resilience with a significant growth of 13.8% CAGR from 2007 to 2012. Designer apparels accounted for 26% of the Singapore luxury goods market.Some of the important factors fueled the growth of luxury goods market such as, increased of gross domestic production, inclining income levels, growing population of upper middle class people, urbanization upsurge, shifting social attitudes towards display of wealth and others. Apart from that, Singapore being an international free port resulted in the increase of luxury products sales over the years. This results in a higher spendings by tourists in Singapore in comparison to its neighboring countries. Many premium international brands are looking forward to expand their investments and presence in Singapore. Singa-

pore is female orientated when it comes to fashion conscious demographic according to Euromonitor’s report. Singapore women are able to spend more of their average annual per capital income of over US$20,000 in 2013 on personal appearance. Women of age 25-44 year old are the dominant market segment in women’s fashion in Singapore, making it ideal for fashion brands to target young working adults. The climate and consumer attitude determine the nature of fashion demand in Singapore. The 3 most important components of fashion in Singapore are jewelry, outerwear and handbags according to the report. Female Singapore consumers are willing to trade up given the variety of price points and brands to attain exclusivity and quality products. In 2013, the report reveals that selective store openings, the use of sponsorships, online engagements and retail partnerships appeal the most to Singapore consumers.

NOTABLE SHIFT IN THE LUXURY ACCESSORIES MARKET DEMAND

KEY PLAYERS Studies show that a majority of Singapore consumers still uses luxury goods to reflect their status and prefer conspicuous, heritage brands as a priority. However, there was a notable shift in the luxury accessories market, especially handbags, with consumers increasingly demand for understated luxury rather than bags with heavily monogrammed brand logos. This is due to the rising sophistication in consumer’s preferences to seek for brands that differentiate themselves from the rest. Euromonitor shows that the luxury market in Singapore is highly concentrated as of 2013. The more affordable luxury brands,

Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry and Prada still contributed to most of the sales of luxury accessories due to the consumer familiarity with the brads. On the other hand, affluent consumers are investing in higher end luxury such as Chanel and Hermes that represents exclusivity, ultimate status and supreme product quality. The shift of consumer’s preference to understated luxury benefitted brands such as Bottega Veneta. As of 2013, luxury brands boutiques are accounted for the mass sales of luxury goods. The high unit price luxury goods allows consumers to touch and feel the product physically

at the boutique before committing a purchase. Therefore, luxury brand players focus on creating the luxurious shopping environment to further attract consumer’s interest to indulge in the whole shopping experience. Besides that, online retailing gained share in 2013. Private shopping clubs such as Reebonz, offers attractive discounts and installments plans to recruit a strong customer following. However, the product’s authentic still continues to be the main concern of many consumers when purchasing online.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPANY PROFILE

ABOUT THE DESIGNERS Mansur Gavriel started in April 2012 named after and founded by two innovative women, Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel. Rachel Mansur graduated from Rhode Island School of Design for textile and has a passion for art. She went on pursuing her career in the art direction but ended up working several odd jobs, including dying dresses until the point where she started working for a start-up website and found her interest in business. As for Floriana Gavriel, she is a fashion design graduate herself, worked for Zac Posen as a stylist at New York and consecutively at Lanvin as a fashion designer. The duo met at a concert in 2010 and found out that they share a common interest in everything simple, clean but strong. They also realized how both of them admire Italian leather. Then, they went about to develop bags of their own. Bags that of clean cuts and beautiful stitches and of course, are made out from quality Italian leather. Due to the two are staying in different places, Rachel in Los Angeles and Floriana in Berlin, they communicated through email and made things work. In 2012, the cofounders met up in New York and started sourcing. Through many perseverance, they found an Italy company that specializes in have different color coated leather. Even though it is much cost effective to have the manufacturing in China, the duo considered the carbon footprint in shipping the bags from China to Italy for the post-assemblage process, it is better to produce everything in the same place, Italy. In June 2014, they launched their first ever collection. They emailed buyers with images of the bags and went of trade shows and secured their accounts.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

ABOUT THE BRAND

ansur Gavriel started up with two style of bags, a drawstring Bucket Bag in Fiamma Bucket Bag in Brandy bucket bag and a horizontal tote. Both of the bags have a unique trait that represents the brand, which is the contrasted but complimentary colored interiors. The bags are all designed with clean stitches with minimal to no hardware to compliment to bag, beside the discreet tiny gold brand lettering. The starting off price of the bags were $495 for the bucket bags and $485 for the horizontal tote bags, it is of a contemporary price point for a staple bag. The bags were quickly caught on bloggers, editors, street style stars as well as celebrities, such as, Kristen Dunst, Emma Watson and Miranda Kerr. The fathom of the bags escalated with 100 percent sell through rate every time the bag hit stores, even with the popular stockists, including Net—a—Porter, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Colette, Opening Ceremony and many more. s. Besides that, Mansur Cavriel also created another phenomenal bag, which is the coated leather backpack in the Fall/ Winter 2014 collection. The initial styles of the bags had a natural hues ranging from brown and black and quickly expanded to more colors to meet with the demands and style preferences. The interior colors grew from red and blue to metallic silver, gold and other vivid colors. The prices of their products are priced from $460 to $950. The company is able to find success in targeting women who want low—key luxury in bags.

VISION

Starting with a beautiful material and letting the essence of that be the predominant design element. (Rachel Mansur. 2013, Personal interview with Steven Alan) MISSION

To create something that will be beautiful now and beautiful ten years later, at a contemporary price point. (Rachel Mansur. 2013, Personal interview with Nylon Magazine) USP

The main concept of the brand is to be all about the material, mainly Italian vegetable tanned leather and how the material itself compliments the shape and form of the bags.

BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

BUSINESS MODEL

The idea of designing bags come of the designers themselves that are constantly seeking for the right bag, something that is simple but definitely a staple. The cofounders think that it is almost impossible to find an IT bag that are not $1500 and above. That fueled their passion in creating something that everyone would and now love and afford. The designers revealed that they are not interested in keeping up with the trends but to just have make their products the right way.

The cofounders are high on quality controlling their designs. The brand currently works with only one factory in Italy for manufacturing and production. The company is still still in process of expanding their from their six full time employees based in NYC. Due to its growing fan base, the company has the luxury of saying no, to some wholesale orders so that the quality of their bags would not diminish. Up till today, the privately owned company have launched their very own online retail, www. mansurgavriel.com on June 2014 that allows customer to customize the interior color of the brand on their two—toned bags.

PRIMARY TARGET MARKET

Mansur Gavriel targets women primarily of aged 25 - 34. • Middle to upper middle class • Quality concerned

• • • •

Minimalist Seeks for timelessness Appreciates versatility Moderate spending power on luxury goods

SECONDARY TARGET MARKET

Mansur Gavriel has a secondary target market of women aged 25 and below. • Socialite/bloggers • Actively pursuing

• •

fashion trends Has a personal income or strong family background Fashion Enthusiasts

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS BEING THE NEW PLAYER IN THE INDUSTRY, MANSUR GAVRIEL THE BRAND ITSELF ARE PUT AGAINST DIFFERENT COMPETITORS IN THE FASHION MARKETPLACE. BESIDES THAT, BEING A NICHE BRAND, MANSUR GAVRIEL HAVE GAINED

EXCEPTIONAL

POPULARITY

ACROSS

THE

COUNTRIES AND OF COURSE, IN SINGAPORE AS WELL. SINGAPORE AS A WELL ESTABLISHED AND FAST PACED ADAPTIVE COUNTRY, SINGAPORE CONSUMERS CONSIST OF THOSE WHO HAVE BRANDS THAT THEY STAY LOYAL TO AND THOSE THAT ARE STILL ACTIVELY SEEKING FOR THE BRAND THAT APPEALS TO THEM THE MOST. THESE BRANDS ARE DEEMED TO BE COMPETITORS OF MANSUR GAVRIEL IN TERMS OF AESTHETICS RESEMBLANCE OR MARKET SHARE IN SINGAPORE. COMPETITORS OF MANSUR GAVRIEL IS CATEGORIZED INTO TWO, NAMELY, ITS DIRECT COMPETITORS AND INDIRECT COMPETITORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DIRECT COMPETITOR

Status anxiety was founded in 2005 from Sydney, Australia. Status Anxiety is named to mock the unquenchable desire of the society to show status, especially though fashion products .Their brand aesthetic is to show simplicity and durability in designs through premium leather ranging from high grade Italian, French and New Zealand leather. Status Anxiety is available online and in stores through retail stockists. The official website of Status Anxiety is statusanxiety. com.au which is based in Australia but still take on international orders and shipping. Their products can be found in over 400 fashion boutiques internationally. Status Anxiety claims that their appeal “ might be broad, but are not for the masses “ shows that they facilitating towards a niche market instead of the mainstream.

VISION To create an aspirational cult regardless of status that priorities functionality and the simplest form of design without the need for lavish branding. MISSION Creating timeless and classic pieces with the best quality and durability at reasonable prices. USP Embodying individuality and encourage personal expression through staple products made from the finest quality.

TARGET MARKET

Female & Male aged 20 35 years old. • Working class • Artists / Avid Traveller • Non-conformist • Not trend followers • Prefers practically • Function over style • Urban llifestyle • Organized • Wants to make sure they are getting their

• •

•

money’s worth when they make a purchase Individualistic/ unconventional Seeks for luxurious quality without concerning brand names Enjoys quiet gathering & coffee with friends alike

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DIRECT COMPETITOR

Founded in 2011, Building Blocks is an L.A. based design studio producing fashion accessories. The brand is founded by two sisters, Nancy and Kimberly Wu. The two sisters started off working corporate design jobs, Nancy in Nike and Kimberly at Honda. The two grew tired and opted to do something more creative and more for their personal interest. It was Kimberly who started collecting materials and making her own bags and blogging about it. It then quickly gained interest from friends and avid readers that requested to get the bags for themselves. The two sisters then quit their day jobs and joined forces together in an L.A. studio. The both of them are tired of fast fashion and trends that flashes by so quickly and decided that basic is what works best. Their designs came mainly from themselves, by designing what they would like, personally, and suites their needs. The concept of their designs is to strip down everything to the very basic form of it, hence the name Building Blocks, like how shapes slowly build up to something entirely different. For instances, a duffle bag would have the shape of a cylinder and a briefcase would have the shape of a rectangle. Their products are made available through stockists in 10 countries and also their official e-commerce, building--blocks. com.

VISION To clear away conventional standards of luxury by magnifying what is essential and editing out excess. MISSION To create fashion accessories that focuses on the idea of simple utilitarian materials, shapes and forms. USP Encompassing the philosophy of starting from the square one and finding inspiration from there.

TARGET MARKET

Female consumer from age 20 - 35 years old. • Working class • Art student / Photographer • Independent-minded • Prefers function over style • Organized • Minimalist • Metropolitan lifestyle • Opt for things that are

• • • • •

light and easy to carry Appreciates structures and forms Effortless and clean lifestyle Unbiased in making purchase decisions Enjoy the simple pleasures in life Takes pleasure in reading and blogging

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INDIRECT COMPETITOR

VISION To remain the consistency of the brand’s timeless image. MISSION To provide luxury and versatile fashion goods that are offering value for money. USP Versatility and functionality of the leather goods.

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female age group ranging from 18 - 40 years old. • Working class / Student • Traveller • Prefers versatility • Demand for value for money • Opt for things that are light, easy to carry and store

• • • • • •

Goes for timeless and effortless pieces Prefers to shop for things that are easily accessible Conformist Urban lifestyle Active and fast-paced lifestyle Spends most of the time traveling or working

Longchamp is a classic fashion accessories powerhouse that started in 1948 by Jean Cassegrain and now owned by his son, Philippe Cassegrain. Longchamp’s production capital is based in France by using leather sourced from France, Italy and Uruguay. Longchamp capitalizes on affordable luxury fashion market and have value of approximately 1.1billion Euros according to Forbes. As of 2012, Longchamp’s sales were 454 million Euros, an increase of nearly 75% sales from the year 2009. According to French newspaper La Croix, only 30% of Longchamp’s revenue comes from its home country of France. An additional 30% is from the rest of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with 25% in Asia and 15% in America. The revenue growth of Longchamp comes from their persistency to sticking to their affordable prices and expanding store locations. In 1993, the infamous “ Le Pliage “ foldable bags become the most popular line of Longchamp bags until today. Longchamp’s official storefront is made available in over 80 countries, online through it’s official e-store in select countries and in department stores

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INDIRECT COMPETITOR

COS, meaning Collection Of Style is a brand under the H&M group launched in the year 2007. COS offers more classic designs and higher end materials adding to the H&M retail mix to compete with higher-end retail, like Zara. There are currently 75 COS stores worldwide as of 2013 and it is still expanding to 40 more storefronts in the coming years. The expansion of COS have fueled the company’s sales by an increase of 11% compared to the previous years. In 2013, revenue generated rose to 32 billion kronor, which is an increase of 22% profile. The sister line also aids to target a more mature market to balance out H&M’s end of the market position. COS is available in 20 countries but only retails online in the European market.

VISION To position the H&M Group to a higher end of the fast fashion apparel market. MISSION To create minimalist, modern and understated quality basics designs without the luxury price tag of designer brands. USP Concept of style over fashion by creating fashion pieces that combines fuses both classic and modern essences.

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female aged 25 35 years old. • Working class • Family orientated • Confident • Individualistic • Prefers simplicity and muted colors • Modern minimalistic lifestyle

• • • •

Pays attention to details Seeks for high street fashion at more affordable prices Urban lifestyle Enjoys socializing over coffee and spending quality time with family & friends

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INDIRECT COMPETITOR

VISION Zatchels’ aim and continued philosophy is to design and create high quality leather bags and accessories in England. ( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

MISSION To elevate Zatchels to be known as the classic British brand, with global recognition for the high quality and the versatility of its collections. ( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

USP Truly British leather accessories label, with every piece being designed and manufactured in England using traditional manufacturing skills. ( Dean Clarke. 2013, Personal interview )

TARGET MARKET

Male & Female aged 15-30 years old. • Middle class • Professionals/students • Family oriented • Artistic • In need of practicality • Loves personalizations

• • • •

Appreciates quality and craftsmanship Seeks for timeless simplicity with a modern essence Urban lifestyle Strong appreciation for leather

Zatchel is modern handmade British accessories brand founded in 2011 as a joint venture by director Dean Clarke and business partner, Brian Brady. The company act a manufacturer to its own productions on traditional leather goods that offers fun and the latest fashion stylings in equal measure. The classic satchels created by Zatchel are a form of trend reboot for the 21st century. The brand has quickly grown to become a go-to brand for leather accessories for both men, women and kids in a variety of colors and finishes. Zatchels currently has an international reach through own brand’s retail, wholesale and online sales. Zatchels’ stockist list spans through Japanm Philippines, Australia, Singapore, USA, China, Canada, Russia and Europe and often featured in Grazia, Company, Cosmopolitan, Instyle, as well as being worn by celebrities such as Jessie J, Alex Jones, McFly and Eliza Doolittle. ( Zatchels, 2011 )

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

(distribution to Singapore)

Mansur Gavriel

For Women Only (selected products

Price Range: $600 $1300

• mansurgavriel.com Stockist :

• Featured in fashion magazines

customizable)

• net-a-porter.com

• Exclusive editions

• Tote bags

• ssense.com

• 132k followers on

• Backpacks

• openingceremony.us

• Bucket bags

• shopbird.com

Instagram • Customization

• Clutches

Direct Competitors Status Anxiety

For Men & Women • Pouches

Price Range : $50 $400

• statusanxiety.com.au • Promotional video Stockist :

• Wallets

• The Editors Market

• Sling bags

• Robinsons

• Duffel bags

• Benjamin Barker

• Backpacks

• Isetan

• 16k followers on Instagram

• Tangs • Yacht21

Building Blocks

For Women Only • Sling bags

Price Range : $100 - • building—blocks.com • Featured in art $1500

Stockist :

• Duffel bags

• Club21

• Tote bags

• Nana & Bird

• Bucket bags • Rucksacks • Wallets • Bag accessories

magazine • Artist collaborated projects

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Product

Price

Place

Promotion

(distribution in Singapore)

Indirect Competitors Longchamp

For Men & Women

Price Range : $73 -

Longchamp official

(selected products

$2200

flagship stores :

& artists

customizable)

• Paragon

collaborations

• Women’s bags

• Changi Airport

• Men’s bags

• Ion

• Small leather

• Marina Bay Sands

goods

Departmental stores :

• Luggage and

• Designers

• Promotional video campaign • 104k Instagram followers

• Takashimaya

travel bags

• Isetan

• Tech accessories • Shoes • Ready to wear

COS

For Men & Women

Price Range : $9 -

COS official storefronts :

• Promotional video

• Menswear

$400

• Ion

• Art installation

• Womenswear

• Westgate

• Childrenswear

collaboration • 117k followers on

• Accessories

Instagram

• Jewelry • Shoes

Zatchels

For Men , Women and Price Range : $95 -

Online stockist

Kids

• doorstepluxury.com

$500

• Satchels

Departmental stores :

• Tote Bags

• Robinsons

• Sling bags

• Tangs

• Backpack • Clutches • Luggage Tags • iPad Cases

• Lifetime guarantee on bags • Personalize engravings • Special editions • Pop up stores

MANSUR GAVRIEL

COMPETITION

rom the analysis and comparison, both Status Anxiety and Building Blocks share a similar aesthetic and concept as Mansur Gavriel, by promoting simplicity and quality with affordable pricing in comparison with contemporary luxury brands but still able to provide customers with opulent quality of worth. Mansur Gavriel has gained its popularity through celebrities and bloggers raving about the bags and it has quickly became the IT bag in 2014. However, its exposure in Singapore still remained scarce due to its lack of promotional advertising in Singapore and also the Asia Market. Besides that, the accessibility of the brand is also highly limited and thus, limiting its awareness from the publicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye. As for Status Anxiety and Building Blocks, both brands even though have little recognition, have physical products for display and made available for purchase in Singapore and hence gaining themselves a niche market among Singaporeans. As for indirect competitors, Longchamp is chosen to be one of the competitors because of its mass market share in Singapore. The brand is well known on its own and it is almost a necessity for every woman to own one of its durable and versatile nylon bag whether if its a handbag or a travel bag. Even though it is deemed to be a mainstream brand, everyone would still think of it as a classic and a bag that would never go out of style. Longchamp certainly have its visible market in Singapore. The following indirect competitor would be COS. COS has gained its hype in Singapore with its minimal modernism storefront that attracted a lot of youngsters and professionals to visit. Its quality and simplicity in designs have won the hearts of many shoppers to become a frequent buyer. The reason of choosing COS as a competitor is the minimalist design of their products and of course, their bags. Given the devotee of the brand itself, they would opt for COSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bags when minimalism comes to mind. Besides that Zatchels is one of the indirect competitor of Mansur Gavriel because both brands share the same prime focus of leather in their products. Zatchels have also became one of a cult favorites by Singapore consumers which makes the brand a competitor of Mansur Gavriel. In conclusion, Mansur Gavriel has definitely became a staple in many style enthusiasts but have yet to penetrate in to the Singapore market that could potential increase its recognition and sales.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MARKET POSITION <

Price

Exclusive distribution

Wide distribution

Affordability

According to the market position graph, Mansur Gavriel is positioned to have a higher exclusivity in comparison to the other brands because of its limited amount of production and accessibility constraint. Besides that, its ability for customization on its website also allows for some unique colors customization for individual customers. Mansur Gavriel even offers exclusive designs and colors on some of its stockists.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; e-commerce which are not available on Mansur Gavrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official site. The price is comparatively higher compared to its competitors because of its expanding hype and increasing market demands allows the company to increase the price to gain more profit. Mansur Gavrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position in the market provides an alternative for consumers that inclined towards high street designer brands but are looking for something at a right price with premium quality and design.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MARKETING PROBLEM DIAGNOSTICS

ASSUMPTIONS •

•

RESEARCH QUESTION How can Mansur Gavriel penetrate into the Singapore market given its relatively low brand recognition and create brand presence ?

RESEARCH PROBLEM • • • • •

Low awareness New entrants to the market Poor accessibility to brand products Imitation products Limited designs

• •

•

SUBPROBLEMS • • • • • •

No official physical point of purchase Minimal advertising Emerging brands competition Well established competitor brands Targeting Niche market Limited designs

HYPOTHESIS • • • • • • • •

Stockist provide physical first hand access to the brand to create a brand presence Pop up store creates awareness of the brand and its products By endorsing a brand ambassador, customers can associate the brand with the said ambassador By creating more advertising campaigns, the brand can gain more awareness from the public Collaborations/limited editions creates exclusivity Developing brand image allows consumer to know and understand the brand Providing the ease of shopping encourages more visits and sales from customers Niche marketing targeted early adopters

By further segmenting the target market, the brand can get a better appeal to their customers. Lucy Whittington, director at Inspired Business Marketing suggests that customer segmentation allows the company to identify how customer spends in order for the brand to target the marketing strategies to each customer segments and convey respective messages specially tailored to each segment of customers. (Marketing Donut, n.d ) By obtaining feedback from customers, the brand can reflect and meet future demands. According to The Business of Fashion, brands should gather first-hand information from customers to know their purchase behaviors and to understand the customers through direct interaction. ( Business of Fashion, 2012 ) Pop up stores allows brands to connect with customers, generate more sales, build awareness and test new markets. ( thestorefront.com, 2013 ) Partnership of brands or sponsorship a charitable causes or a significant social issue is a strategic business move because it helps to boost brand equity, raise brand awareness and allows the brand to differentiate itself from its competitors. However, the motive of the partnership has to be sincere and practiced for a long term to harvest trust from customers. ( personadesign. ie, 2013 ) Contactless technology succeeds in reducing frictions from purchasing journey to encourage repeat purchases and loyalty. Mobile wallet apps also allows retailer to collect customer’s data to offer personalized deals. ( ec1capital.com,2014 )

LIMITATIONS • •

Being a new start up business, the company has a relatively lower budget to carry out marketing campaigns. Due to the founders’ strict quality control and lack of man power, the production process is tightened and causes more time consumed to meet with the orders.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

METHODOLOGY SURVEY An online survey is carried out to collect data of Singapore

consumers

regarding

their

purchase

behavior and the brand recognition of Mansur Gavriel. online,

The

online

through

surveys

were

surveyshare.com

distributed

and

handed

out to passerby shoppers outside Somerset313. Objective: The survey is to collect quantitative results on the respondents demographics, buying behaviors offline and online, and their brand perception of Mansur Gavriel. By using surveys, more consumers can be reached through mass distribution and snowballing.

INTERVIEW An interview session was conducted with an experienced buyer from Robinsons through email due to the inconvenience in meeting up face-to-face. The interview will provide an insight to the Singapore fashion scene and seek further opportunities for Mansur Gavriel through the eye of the buyer of possible stockist of the brand.

KEY FINDINGS

MANSUR GAVRIEL

SUMMARY OF RESULTS From both the survey and interview, we can conclude that there is an acceptance by Singapore consumers towards the brand and there is a potential for the brand to strive in Singapore even though the current brand awareness is fairly low. However, the distribution of the survey has introduced the brand to some of the respondents who have not heard of the brand. The quality of products is the main concern of consumers nowadays which is an opportunity for Mansur Gavriel given its quality material and production. Both sources revealed that the social media is the prime medium that they are most exposed to and that was how they heard of the brand. This shows the importance of social media and further marketing campaign should be developed through this medium.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

SWOT STRENGTHS • • • • • • • • • •

Production and materials from Italy Use of Italian vegetable tanned leather 100% sell through rate Bucket Bag became Lyst.com most viewed product in 2014 Strict quality control Contemporary price point New entree to the market Reputable online stockists with international shipping Official international e-commerce Favorited by fashion influencers and celebrities

OPPORTUNITIES • • • • •

Future collaborations Complimentary product line Artist endorsements Marketing campaign Flagship store

• • • • • • • •

Special edition products Widen target market Prevail as a classic bag Aggressive advertising Strategic point of purchase Customer loyalty Positive brand image Increase social media exposure

MANSUR GAVRIEL

WEAKNESSES • • • • • • • • • •

Production/manufacturing cost Leather susceptible to scratching Losing customers from wait listing Unable to meet with orders Limited manpower New player in the market Variety of products Accessibility to consumers Minimal advertising/ branding Targeting niche market

THREATS • • • • • • • • • •

Emerging brands/ designers with similar aesthetics Knock-offs Fast changing nature of fashion/style trends Consumer preferences Increasing support of local designers Taxes imposed cause price hikes in some countries Possible recessions Accessibility of competitors Rising in labour cost and policy enforces Delivery incurred defects

MANSUR GAVRIEL

PEST POLITICAL •

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Singapore government agency, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore that aggressive promote overseas growth of Singapore-based enterprises. ( iesingapore.gov.sg, 2014 ). The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook in 2013 has deemed Singapore to be the least bureaucratic country in Asia – making it the perfect place to set up an operations base or business with a score of 6.43 ranking in the second place after UAE. Rankings were based on government interference, attractive policies, transparency and accountability. ( Global Competitiveness Report, 2015 ) The Global Competitiveness Report 2013–2014 recognizes Singapore as a country with sound political infrastructure and policy-making procedures; leading to its ranking as the most transparent country in Asia that enjoys a stable business environment. ( Global Competitiveness Report, 2015 ) Threat: Rising of support by government and local consumers on local startups instead of international brands. Opportunity: Mansur Gavriel is able to penetrate the Asia market through Singapore’s encouraging business environment.

ECONOMIC •

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Singapore GDP per capita at US$60,400 is the world’s 3rd highest (after Qatar and Luxembourg. ( sbr.com.sg, 2014 ) Opportunity: This denotes that Singapore consumers are among the best spenders on luxury goods. As of the 3rd quarter of 2014, Singapore overall economy GDP at current market prices is $95,121m. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014) Singapore’s economic grew by around 3.0 per cent for the whole of 2014. Singapore economy is expected to grow by 2.0 to 4.0 per cent in 2015. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014) In the third quarter of 2014, the wholesale and retail trade sector expanded by 2.0 per cent, extending the 1.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014) Singapore’s current GST rate is accounted at 7% as of 2007 and onwards. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014) As of 2014, the consumer price index increased by 0.9 per cent compared to a year ago. ( mti.gov.sg, 2014) Opportunitys: The growth of retail sector in Singapore creates a favorable environment for Mansur Gavriel to reach the retail sales floor. Opportunity: A positive economic outlook for Singapore that creates a higher standard of living and thus, increasing consumer spendings. Threat: The increase of GST and CPI indicate the increase of cost of living which might affect the rise in price and services, affecting the consumer’s purchasing power.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

TECHNOLOGY •

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SOCIAL

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Singapore’s total population was 5.47 million as of June 2014. The total population grew by 1.3% from June 2013 to June 2014, the slowest growth rate in the last decade. ( nptd.gov.sg, 2014) The number of citizens in the working ages of 20 to 64 years will decline from 2020 due to more citizens retiring and fewer citizens entering the workforce. ( Population White Paper, 2013) By 2030, the family structure in Singapore is likely to reverse itself with more elderly members than younger ones. By 2050, Singapore will have an inverted population structure with more in the older age groups than the younger age groups. ( Population White Paper, 2013) As of 2013, Singapore has a literacy rate of 96.5% based on the population aged 15 years and above. (edb.gov.sg, 2014 ) With the highest number of millionaires per capita in the world (about 1 in every 30 Singaporeans is a dollar millionaire, and 3,870 are multimillionaires with net worth exceeding US$30 million), Singapore is a natural magnet for luxury. ( sbr.com.sg, 2014 ) Singapore is the key regional hub for Luxury in ASEAN, and a top hub in Asia-Pacific, with a market size in 2013 of €2.5 billion (ca. S$4.3 billion) compared to the ASEAN market size of €5.5 billion. ( sbr.com.sg, 2014) Threat: The inverted population structure causes the decrease in the younger market that Mansur Gavriel is targeted at. Opportunity: The increase in literacy rate can keep consumers to be more receptive and alert towards new ideas and developments. Opportunity: This implies that Singapore consumers have a high disposable income on luxury goods.

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The mobile penetration in Singapore as of 2013 is 156%, computed by the total number of mobile subscriptions divided by the total population. ( deb.gov.sg, 2014 ) Based on IDA’s annual survey, during the year 2012, 52% of internet users in Singapore are online shoppers. ( ida.gov.sg, 2012 ) The proportion of online shoppers peaked for age 25 to 34 years old at 72%, followed by the age group 15 to 24 years old at 51%. ( ida.gov.sg, 2012 ) The primary internet activity of internet users are on the social network based on the IDA annual survey with the dominant age group of 15 to 24 years old at 73% followed by 25 to 34 years old at 62%. ( ida.gov.sg, 2012 ) Singapore showed a growth of 13% since Jan 2014 in number of active social media accounts. ( wearesocial.sg, 2015 ) Web traffic on mobile phones increased by 34% for Jan 2015 as compared to Jan 2014, meanwhile, the page views on laptops and desktops decreased by 14%. ( wearesocial.sg, 2015 ) Opportunity: Half the amount of Singapore internet users are online shoppers support the growth of e-commerce business. Opportunity: The Singapore online shoppers are dominated by the younger age group which is the target market of Mansur Gavriel. Opportunity: The use social marketing will be able to create more exposure to Singapore users. Opportunity: Marketing strategies can be targeted on mobile devices to create more awareness and ease for consumers.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

MARKETING STRATEGY PROPOSAL

MANSUR GAVRIEL

NEW TARGET MARKET The target market for Mansur Gavriel is 25 to 35 years old which is going to be remained for the new target market proposal because Mansur Gavriel’s aesthetics appeal to this range of consumers. • Middle to upper middle class • Quality concerned • Minimalist • Seeks for timelessness • Appreciates versatility • Moderate spending power on luxury goods

Product

NEW MARKETING MIX

The product of Mansur Gavriel remains the same because from both the interview and surveys, participants are interested in the products when being showed images of the bags. Besides that, Mansur Gavriel have received nothing but positive reviews and feedbacks from customers online.

Price The price of Mansur Gavriel have increased after its surplus demand, however, the price of the products are considered to be at the right price point given the market position and the quality of the products. The survey results constituting a majority younger target market age, 21 to 30 years old further validated that a 53% of them has a disposable income of S$500 - S$1000 which shares the same price range as Mansur Gavriel’s price points, S$600 - S$1300 allows Mansur Gavriel to strive in the Singapore market.

Place Mansur Gavriel will need to have a physical point of contact because it has a relatively low brand awareness in Singapore from the survey results, only 21% of respondents have heard about the brand. Also, there is no local stockists of the brand in Singapore so there is literally no physical point of contact in terms of advertising and purchasing point between consumers and the brand. Therefore, a brick and mortar store will be ideal to raise its brand awareness in Singapore. However, given the company is still relatively new, it is unlikely for the company to start up a flagship store, thus working with a stockist in Singapore will be more ideal to test the market and raise the consumer’s interest. However, the stockist will only have limited designs and colors so customers would have to order online for more options and for customizable colors. The stockist will act as an advertising medium for their frequent shoppers to gain recognition towards its products physically and further introducing them to the brand itself.

Promotion The promotional campaign in Singapore will be carried out through the pop up store alongside with a fashion show to raise more awareness and buzz amongst the shoppers. The pop up store will be tied with social media because survey shows how consumers are attached to social media, hence, it is vital to utilize the social media platform to reach out to more consumers. A new Instagram account will be created for Mansur Gavriel to form a community of Mansur Gavriel loyal and new found customers to share their love for bags. Besides that, Mansur Gavriel will collaborate with WWF to raise public awareness towards wildlife creatures facing extinction. This will generate a positive brand image for Mansur Gavriel for support a good cause and also supporting WWF’s movement in saving the environment. Apart from that, it is ideal that Mansur Gavriel could launch a complimentary app to their e-commerce. Due to the 100% sell-through rate, it affects the customer’s demands and they are often being put on the waiting list for months till the next restock or collection launch. The app could assist the customers by giving notifications on the next stock arrivals and creating alerts during new promotions or new collection launch. They could even track the delivery status of the purchases on the app itself. Through the app, customers would be able to make more secure payments through a native app than the mobile browser. This also allows customer to get the latest updates and information on the go. The app also connects with the newly established Instagram account to showcase happy customers in the Mansur Gavriel community.

APPENDIX

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN BRIEF 1 COMPANY PROFILE MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL. THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR GAVRIEL’S FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014 AND OBTAINED POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN CONCEPT OF THE BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL, WHICH IS ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC LEATHER THAT “AGES” OVER TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT WHICH IS MANUFACTURED AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF. MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING AND PRESENTING THE BAGS WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE POINTS IN HOPE OF MEETING CONSUMER’S NEEDS. THE PRICES OF THE PRODUCTS RANGES FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS, THE BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE This design project is to gain more recognition for the brand through offline point of contact. Due to the fact that Mansur Gavriel prior point of purchase is through its online website and online stockists. Singapore have yet to have a local access to Mansur Gavriel products and thus, Singapore consumers are unable to reach the products in the shortest amount of time, given the long waiting list of the brand. Therefore, it is ideal to create a physical point of contact to the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products for Singapore consumer to touch and feel the products and increase their recognition of the products and exposing them to the brand aesthetics.The objective of this design brief is to create a pop up store in Singapore for consumers to see the products in real life and have first hand access to the products and further work with a Singapore departmental store to let Singapore consumers have exclusive access to the brand. Besides that, the pop up store will also be a form of education to the consumers regarding the beauty of Italian vegetable leather to gain more appreciation to the nature of this classic leather and how it is being used in creating the bags.

TARGET MARKET The target consumer for this campaign is mainly young female professionals aging from 25 to 35 years old. They are constantly searching for products that are functional and timeless. The target market are in an upper middle class where they want low-key luxury instead of big designer brands. They prefer everything that are toned down and have minimal look to it to fit with their working attire or casual style. The target market could be bloggers, photographers, designers, artists or even students that are seeking for a muted staple piece. They are individualistic and are actively seeking for things are that new to the market to avoid mainstream products. They have a strong appreciation of details and craftsmanship.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

PROJECT INFORMATION Conceptual • • • • •

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Pop up store to introduce the brand being exclusively sold at Robinsons. Pop up store inspired by plants and natural elements because that is the core inspiration of the founders. A fresh, soft vibrant approach to the pop up store to show femininity. Using the bags itself as main component of display. Showcasing and comparing the maturing Italian tanned vegetable leather for customers to learn about its beauty over time. Alongside of the pop up store, a specially designed photo booth will be set up for customers who successfully made purchases to have their photos taken.

Technical • • • •

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The pop up store will be comprised of a black metal flower cart of size in length of 83" , width of 38" and height of 84”. The flower displays are made from silk flower arrangements. The photo booth backdrop is made from high density PVC wall panels taking up the size of 5ft x 7ft. The single user swing frame is made from metal and the wooden swing seat is held on by using twisted rope decorated with silk flowers and leaves. Staff training for product knowledge and as photographer for photo booth.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Commercial

The pop up store will be set up at inside Robinson because Robinson is the proposed first and only permanent exclusive stockiest for Robinson in Singapore because the survey results revealed that a majority of young consumers are frequent shoppers at Robinson and they share the same niche market Mansur Gavriel is targeting. Also, the location of Robinson located at the prime shopping destination at Singapore allows more visits from locals and tourists as well. The pop up store will have a span of 1 month during June to create enough awareness for Mansur Gavriel being a newly introduced brand sold in Robinsons Singapore. The initial planning and sourcing of materials for the booth and designs will start in mid-April. Alongside with the popup store, Mansur Gavriel is also launching a new instagram account, @MGhappygirls to gather all the happy customers into an account to share their joy of being the owner of a Mansur Gavriel bag, with their hashtag tagline, #happygirlhappybag, the popup store with have a new complimentary hashtag which is, #happygirlsg to be included into the campaign to show where the happy customers are from. This creates a sense of community in customers around the world and also will raise more attention in social media. â&#x20AC;˘ With every purchase sold, customers can get a style shot taken at a booth with their purchase. â&#x20AC;˘ By using #happysg and #happygirlhappybag, customers can find their shots on @MGhappygirls instagram account as well as on the Mansur Gavriel app ( refer to design brief 3 ).

Financial Data Flower cart : $2800 Swing set: $400 Silk flowers: $500 Booth Design Team : $2000 Store space for 1 months : $20,000 Contractor : $2000 Staff/photographer : $4,800 Printed materials: $1500 Miscellaneous: $2000 Total: $36,000

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN BRIEF 2 COMPANY PROFILE MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL. THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR GAVRIEL’S FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014 AND OBTAINED POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN CONCEPT OF THE BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL, WHICH IS ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC LEATHER THAT “AGES” OVER TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT WHICH IS MANUFACTURED AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF. MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING AND PRESENTING THE BAGS WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE POINTS IN HOPE OF MEETING CONSUMER’S NEEDS. THE PRICES OF THE PRODUCTS RANGES FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS, THE BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE

This project is to create a positive brand image for Mansur Gavriel through collaborating with a foundation to raise funds and awareness. Mansur Gavrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collaboration with WWF is to help raise awareness and funds to stop wildlife crime by backing the rangers. Conservation rangers work tirelessly to protect endangered species that are targeted by poaches for illegal wildlife trade, some are even killed in the process. They usually earn very little and some go months without receiving their salary or seeing their families to protect these animals for a cause and they are not getting the recognition they

deserve. The way Mansur Gavriel can generate buzz for this collaboration is through a guerrilla fashion show. The fashion show will be presented in the form of a shadow play. This enables the audience to truly focus on the silhouettes of the bags on the models and also the silhouettes of majestic wildlife species that are in the threat of facing extinction - elephants, rhinos and tigers. The founder of Mansur Gavriel have a strong appreciation for nature which is the main source of inspiration for them, which makes it more than appropriate to support the nature while theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at it.

TARGET MARKET The target market for this campaign is male and female audiences from age 25 to 45 years olds. They are mostly working professionals or avid travelers. They are often busy but will take some time to admire the environment around them. This target market are compassionate and wants to spend their money where it is worthy. They are from middle to upper middle class seeking for gifts

for someone or themselves. They are traveling on feet most of the time to work and about. They want to be able to help others while making a purchase for themselves so it could justify their purchase and for a good cause.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

PROJECT INFORMATION Conceptual

Technical

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Shadow play guerrilla fashion show A guerilla fashion show that uses the art of shadow to present the silhouettes of the bags and also the animals that we are trying to save. Models will be wearing skin tight bodysuits so that the bags are the main focus. Alongside with the models, shadows of wildlife creatures will appear behind the screen. These creatures are presented using paper puppets. After the walks, there will be a short play about the wildlife and how the rangers are protecting them. During the end of the show the screen will drop, revealing the models wearing T-shirts that says “Help the Rangers, Help the Wildlife”.

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An outdoor projection screen is used for this project of size 107” x 80”. The shadow projection falls on the screen by using a 1000W LED outdoor spotlight in warm white light.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Commercial The fashion show will happen within the time frame of the pop up store, which is in June on a weekend so that customers can head to the store to check out the products. The fashion show will take place on Orchard Road where there is a peak of traffic during weekends. It is one of the top frequent visit spots of younger consumers and tourists. An hour before the fashion show, ushers will be giving out flyers during models preparation and music setup. The purpose of this is to inform passerby that something is happening soon and they could stay tune to what is going to happen. This generates a hype and buzz to passerby to anticipate the event. As for the pop up store, in support of the WWF movement to back the rangers a specially designed edition of the Mansur Gavriel bucket bag holding tie dyed roses which are being sold for S$15 each with a tag of thank you note from the wildlife protection rangers. All proceeds of the roses will go directly to WWF to back the rangers in buying them a first aid kit during their patrol duties. This campaign will go on for a duration of a week.

Financial Data Projector screen and materials: $700 Lighting: $1120 Setup team : $1000 Art Team : $2000 Shadow play artists: $3000 Contractor: $1500 Models : $3000 Fresh roses supply: $600 Printing materials: $300 Total: $13,220

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN BRIEF 3 COMPANY PROFILE MANSUR GAVRIEL WAS FOUNDED IN APRIL 2012 BY TWO PASSIONATE WOMEN, RACHEL MANSUR AND FLORIANA GAVRIEL. THE DUO REALIZED THEIR INTEREST IN LEATHER AND DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES TO CREATE BAGS FOR WOMEN. MANSUR GAVRIEL’S FIRST COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2014 AND OBTAINED POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM BUYERS. THE MAIN CONCEPT OF THE BAGS IS TO PUT THE FOCUS ON ITS MATERIAL, WHICH IS ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER WITH MINIMAL HARDWARE TO COMPLIMENT THE BAGS. THE USE OF ITALIAN VEGETABLE TANNED LEATHER IS BECAUSE IT IS A CLASSIC LEATHER THAT “AGES” OVER TIME AND THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF IT WHICH IS MANUFACTURED AND SOURCED IN ITALY ITSELF. MANSUR GAVRIEL PLAYED WITH COLORS, CUTS AND STITCHING AND PRESENTING THE BAGS WITH CONTEMPORARY PRICE POINTS IN HOPE OF MEETING CONSUMER’S NEEDS. THE PRICES OF THE PRODUCTS RANGES FROM SGD$600-$1300. ACCORDING TO THE FOUNDERS, THE BAGS ARE TARGETING DIFFERENT WOMEN PSYCHOGRAPHICS WITH ITS VARIATION OF COLORS.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

DESIGN PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of this project is to encourage shoppers to shop online on Mansur Gavriel’s official e-commerce. Through using an offline stockist as a medium to first introduce the brand to Singapore shoppers, the brand will gain more brand presence in Singapore’s fashion scene. However, given the limited product assigned to the stockists, Mansur Gavriel still encourages customers to shop on their official website for more product options. Therefore, the proposed idea of this brief is to develop a native mobile application for Mansur Gavriel itself. The app provides browsing, shopping, purchasing conveniences as well as bringing the Mansur Gavriel’s customers together where they can interact with each other through the app.

TARGET MARKET The target market for this strategy is targeting Mansur Gavriel’s primary target market which is women from age 25 - 35 years old.The target market are professionals in middle to upper middle class. They are that are tech savvy and always seeking for new information. They are smart consumers and cautious on making purchases. This target market are active on the social platform and appreciates the convenience of shopping and being on the go.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

PROJECT INFORMATION Conceptual

Technical

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The Mansur Gavriel app is to encourage customers to shop from Mansur Gavriel’s official e-commerce. Developing a Mansur Gavriel native app for the ease of shopping. Provide the convenience of browsing and wish listing products. Customers are able to make purchases securely on the native app as compared to web browsers. Customers can easily track each of their deliveries on the go. Forging a sense of community amongst Mansur Gavriel’s loyal customers.

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iPhone users are able to checkout from the app using Apple Pay. Mansur Gavriel app required location service. The app is supported on iOS and Android devices. The interface is optimized for smartphones and tablets.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Commercial The app will be launching during July after the pop up store has generated enough consumer awareness towards the brand. The official app allows more purchasing opportunities from Mansur Gavrielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official e-commerce through secured payments and ease of shopping. Customers are able to be notified once their purchase is being shipped and whenever there is a tracking update. The app will also be in sync with the Mansur Gavriel Instagram account, @MGhappygirls to show a feed of satisfied customers and their style shots. The app is able to detect which model of the bag each customer is using on the feed so that other customers can wish list or purchase the bags being seen on other customers on the community. They are also able to post their feedbacks and reviews on the products through the app to help with other customers in making purchasing decisions. Customers are also required to make an account for the app so that Mansur Gavriel can retain the customer data for further product suggestions according to their past purchases and style preferences through the wish list. They will also be notified on their account when the product on their wish list is restocked, made available on their nearest stockist or selling out fast. The launching of the app will be posted through Mansur Gavriel main Instagram account @Mansur Gavriel to encourage their loyal supporters to download the app. Besides that, the app is also made known through the departmental store, Robinsons, which will be the only stockist for Mansur Gavriel in Singapore by using a QR code poster placement alongside with the products for customers to scan to brought into the app store for apple devices or the play store for android to download the app in order to browse for more products.

Financial Data Interface designer: $1300 App developer: $12,000 Total: $13,300

MANSUR GAVRIEL

SURVEY QUESTIONS DEMOGRAPHICS 1. What is your age? • 15 - 20 years old • 21 - 30 years old •

7. Where do you usually make purchases the most ? • Online stores • Boutiques • Department stores

12. Which platform do you use the most to make online purchase ? • Laptop/PCs • handheld devices

31 - 40 years old

2. What are your monthly disposable income/allowances? • < S$500 • S$500 - S$1000 • S$1000 - S$1500 • > S$1500 3. What is your current occupation? • Student • Sales • Housewife • Professionals • Entrepreneur • Artistry 4. Would you consider yourself as a trend follower or a non-trend follower? • Trend follower • Non-trend follower BUYING BEHAVIOR 5. How often do you go shopping ? • Once a month • Once every two weeks • Once a week • > Once a week 6. Where do you usually shop ? • Ion Orchard • Somerset 313 • Robinsons • Takashimaya • Haji Lane • Bugis Street • Others : ________

8. What is your 3 main consideration when making a purchase ? • Price • Design • Quality • Material • Brand • Reviews/feedbacks • To support a cause 9. How do you notice new information sources about products/brands ? Rate 1 - 5 on which medium is the most influential to you, 5 being the most and 1 being the least. • Social media • Magazines • Billboards/banners • Word of mouth • Shopfronts banners/brochures • Bus/MRT stations 10. Which social media platform do you usually use ? • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Pinterest • Tumblr 11. When shopping online, what is your main consideration ? Please rate 1 - 3, 1 being the most concerned and 4 being the least. • Security issues • Product credibility • Product delivery • Device compatibility

BRAND RECOGNITION 13. Have you heard of the brand, Mansur Gavriel, and from where? • Yes • No 14. If yes, where from ? ( refer to question 13 ) • Social media • Word of Mouth • Magazines • Online stores ( Ex: net-a-porter, steven alan etc.) 15. Would you be interested in purchasing the bags ? • Yes • No

16. What is your impression of the brand ? • Clean, simple design • Choice of colors • Quality material • Expensive • Wouldn’t consider it

MANSUR GAVRIEL

SURVEY RESULTS 1. What is your age?

4. Would you consider yourself as a trend follower or a non-trend follower?

2. What are your monthly disposable income/allowances?

5. How often do you go shopping ?

3. What is your current occupation? 6. Where do you usually shop ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

7. Where do you usually make purchases the most ?

10. Which social media platform do you usually use ?

8. What is your 3 main consideration when making a purchase?

11. When shopping online, what is your main consideration ? Please rate 1 - 3, 1 being the most concerned and 4 being the least.

9. How do you notice new information sources about products/brands ? Rate 1 - 5 on which medium is the most influential to you, 5 being the most and 1 being the least.

12. Which platform do you use the most to make online purchase ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

13. Have you heard of the brand, Mansur Gavriel, and from where? 16. What is your impression of the brand ?

14. If yes, where from ? ( refer to question 13 )

15. Would you be interested in purchasing the bags ?

MANSUR GAVRIEL

INTER VIEW

WITH MELISSA LEE, BUYER FROM ROBINSON SINGAPORE

MANSUR GAVRIEL

Could you start with with introduction of yourself ?

brief

coming in with their collections to Singapore.

Sure, my name is Melissa Lee, from Malaysia. I have worked under robinson as a buyer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and currently in Robinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Singapore. I would usually do merchandise planning on seasonal buying and accessing the current in-house labels for the womenswear department. I have been working with Robinson for more than 5 years now.

What are the acceptable price range of mid-luxury goods of the Singapore market ?

What do you think of Singapore market in accepting newly introduced brands? I personally agree on a saying that Singaporeans can be somewhat reserve on certain things howeover I think we are fairly open to newly introduced brands. What target market are the most active in pursuing newly introduced fashion products/brands? Certainly younger crowds age range from 18-25 year olds seeing how younger crowds love exploring and experiencing fresh new products. What are the best selling products in your opinion?

fashion

I would say bags and shoes because it is definitely a need for everyone. Those that the things that I always encourage people to invest in just because it really affects a lot in someone's daily life in terms of comfortability and functionality. To me, shoes and handbags are not just merely a fashion statement, it is an essential. What do you look for in bringing in brands to Singapore? I can't never comprehend bad quality items hence product's quality is my main concern when looking into new brands or any established brands. I would also love to see uncommon and unique designers

$200-$1200 would be ideal. Well, it really depends on what the brands have to offer, its values that are offered to the consumers. What criteria a brand needs to survive and sustain in Singapore? It has to have it's own signature and strong brand identity. Because consumers nowadays have evolved, they are smarter, they don't just buy something because it looks pretty, they are into the whole experience, the process of learing about the brand to the service, to the reviews. Having a strong identity can definitely help the brand differentiate themselves from competition, I would say. Have you heard of the brand Mansur Gavriel? And how? Yes I have, in fact I've studied a little a bit of this brand and I currently eyeing on the bucket bag in tan. Found out through my friend, whom found out through Instagram bloggers and such, we always exchange fashion finds to keep each other updated. What do you think of it? I love the brand very much from the design to the quality/workmanship, especially their structure and the colors. In your opinion, do you think their products would appeal to the Singapore market? And Why ? I absolutely anticipate Mansur Gavriel being love by the Singapore market as it has it's own character and story to tell.

MANSUR GAVRIEL

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